An expat was sentenced to 15 years in prison and fined BD10,000 yesterday for importing a parcel containing 6.83kg of unregulated CBD oil.
The High Criminal Court found the man guilty of acting as a vital link connecting the overseas-based supplier with small-time drug dealers in Bahrain.
The shipment originated from the UK, transited through Oman and arrived in Bahrain for the defendant to distribute around the country. He admitted that he had only done this job once, for which he was paid BD200.
After he came to collect a mail package containing synthetic cannabinoids, addressed to his name, which had been detected by Customs officers, the 27-year-old Pakistani was arrested.
A trove of liquid narcotics was discovered by authorities on his person and in his apartment: an additional 608gm of unregulated CBD oil. In total, 7.4kg of the narcotic was found in his possession.
The worker was charged with importing, possessing and selling the outlawed substance. In addition to the jail term and fine, the court also ordered the confiscation of the contraband and his deportation after completing the sentence.
The GDN earlier reported that the Anti-Narcotics Directorate had formed a covert team to arrest the defendant as he signed for the package, with officers posing as courier employees.
“When he was arrested, we found six bottles on his person, containing 56.7gm of CBD oil,” a policeman testified.
“In his flat, we found 55 containers that held a total of 520gm of the substance, plus another bottle of 30.7gm, while we detected residue of the substance in 20 empty containers.”
The Pakistani admitted to the accusations in prosecution hearings, stating that he was part of a network that imported and distributed drugs from the UK.
His role was to receive the shipments then hand them over to other individuals, who would go on to portion out the wholesale quantity so it could be sold around the country. He added that some dealers saturate printer paper with the oil.
A search of his phone reportedly led to chats, in which the defendant sent and received photos and co-ordinates of public locations, where narcotics were delivered for collection. Videos and images of the narcotics were also found, as well as receipts of money transfers.
zainab@gdnmedia.bh
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